Volvo 360 GLS - B200K engine [not starting]

[arpi2390]

Hello everybody!

As said in the title my 360 isn't starting, the engine [a B200K, carb] will crank over [from the electric starter] but the engine just won't start/run.
Last monday night I wanted to fire the engine up, turned the key and it started, it was a little hesitant. Usually starts at the turn of the key, now it took about 2-3 seconds to start. It ran for 4-5 seconds and then it died, I tried to restart it but no luck. After a few tries the battery died out... So I took it out charged it about 6 hours and put it back today [2 days have passed]. Battery is fine now but the engine still won't start.
So I tried to clean the dizzy, did that, still won't start. Looked at the fuel filters if there's gas in them, there is but not as much as normally would be. Haven't looked at the spark plugs yet.

So the questions:
How can I check if the fuel pump is working without taking it off?
How can I check the spark plugs? Leads? [if there is any spark]
What could be causing the problem, if it cranks over but the engine just won't fire up?

Thank you in advance for your answers! And Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Cheers,
Arpi

[volvodspec]

you can check the fuel pump by taking the hose off the carb and start the engine, should spray a nice amount of petrol.

sparkplugs can be checked by removing them from the engine, check/adjust the gap, look at the condition of the spark plug and then hold it against the engine block with the lead to it and then crank it

you can also take the kinglead off the dizzy and move it near the intake manifold and then crank it to see if sparks reach the dizzy.

[arpi2390]

Thanks I'll check those.
I've already cleaned the spark plugs they should be fine, haven't tried them against the engine block but I will.
Shouldn't there be a visible change in level of petrol in the fuel filters [those little plastic transparent filters with the filter in the middle - from a kind of paperish material]?
Is the fuel pump mechanical? What could go wrong with it and is it fixable or should I change it?
If it is mechanical I don't see how things could go wrong with it and as I said the car started almost fine last monday but it died out and hasn't started since.
Would it be possible that there was a little amount of water in the petrol and it froze along the lines somewhere? [I do live in Romania, the land of all possibilities - you never know what you can find here].

Thank you for your replay! Hope I'll find the problem...so that I can start fixing it.
Sorry for the elementary questions but I don't really know to much and it's better to ask something first.
I've looked in the VADIS for the fuel pump but I can't get any detailed prints, are there any?

Thank you again!

Cheers,
Arpi

[arpi2390]

Well I'm afraid it is the fuel pump. I took off the line going to the carb [hope I took off the right one - it was after dusk so light was scarce, it goes to the top of the carb, right? on the air filter/battery side and on the left side of the carb?] and turned the key but no fuel was coming out... Tried it a couple of times with my brother holding it but no luck. I haven't tried the spark plugs yet because it got dark.
So new questions:
What could be wrong with the fuel pump? As it is a mechanical one what could have happened?
There are two bolts holding it on from what I have seen is that right? If I undo those will it come of? [It will be hard to loosen them]
Is it worth fixing it?

That's all for tonight...

Sorry for the load of questions.

Happy Holidays to everyone again!

Cheers,
Arpi

[MCHUDD]

Hi mate.
What year is your car.My GLS is an 83 modol and has points and condensor.
If yours is a latter car it will have a coil pack.
If its point,they may need adjusting.Good luck.
Cheers Mark.

[arpi2390]

It's from '85 so it probably/towards most certainly has a coil pack. But aren't these mechanical pumps?
As I said there's no fuel going to the carb and there's no fuel going through the transparent filters [there is little fuel in them but nothing is passing through, the level is constant] so fuel is not moving. I think it gives a spark.
Is there any other way I can test the fuel pump?

Well I just realized that I should have taken of the fuel line from the pump and not from the other end of the line
Jesus...well that's for doing things in the dark....well I wouldn't have seen anything anyway because it was to dark, will try it again tomorrow. [I took of the line right from the carb, cranked it over for a few seconds about 4-5 times but maybe fuel didn't even get there...or it should have because the carb needs fuel...well now I'm lost]
How much does a new fuel pump cost around?

Thank you for your answer!

Cheers,
Arpi

[Ride_on]

If you took the fuel line off the carb end, the fuel should come out of when you crank the engine on the starter motor. If not its either a failed fuel pump or no fuel getting to the pump. The usual cause for me is not enough fuel in the tank, but it tends to evaporator over the months of laid up in the garage. I Have swapped over to a drink bottle in the engine bay, especially since the main or return line was leaking.

If you really want to test your pump, disconnect the pipes going to the tank in the Engine bay and dip them in a plastic drinks bottle half filled with petrol, the car should start pretty quickly. I'm not sure if you could detect the suction with a finger touching the inlet pipe, but worth a try, it has to be able to suck the fuel through an empty pipe out through the top of the tank (the injection pumps from the bottom of the tank). If the pump is ok then suspect the short rubber pipe link above the torque-tube (access underneath) and at the tank sender (access under the back seat). The ones above the T-tube are pretty hard to get at so disconnect at the tank under the seat and then pull out but attached to a string so they can be pulled back again over the tank.

Could also be the pressure regulator under the manifold the tank pipe connect with.

[arpi2390]

Well a little update, it's running again
Thank you Ride_on for the replay and for your tips but it was none of the above...
I took off the pump and took it apart it was clean as a new one, pumping grate, tried it on its own manually and it was working. So I refitted it and still nothing...
I took off the line going to the pump and sucked on it...don't try it if you don't like petrol but there was no gas coming through so checked the line and traced it back to the bit were it comes in the engine bay [copperish line] and saw that the rubber pipe was shredded so I pulled on it a bit just to get it closer to have a good look, it came apart. So tried to fit it back, no luck, reversed the ends, fitted it and I sucked on the pipe again...well this time I sucked harder and I got a mouth full of petrol not tasty at all.
To shorten the story I cut of the ends a bit, refitted the lines, refitted the pump and cranked it over a few times and it started like a little monster it was beginning to be thirsty for petrol...
It was sucking air not petrol...that was the problem...

Thank you all for your replays and tips they were very useful, thank you

P.S. You can check the pump if you hold your hand against either ends, only it doesn't suck that good so you won't feel anything really noticeable, just a faint blow of air on one side, on the other side it is more noticeable.

I'm so happy that it's running again

[Ride_on]

You should have noticed that the fuel lines where wet before, if any others are wet they are leaking and need to be changed. the original pipes on most carb 300 cars will be unreliable now.